In addition to the pattern of words, a pattern for practice is given through the examples of the apostles. It is our position that the tradition of the apostles forms the pattern for all to imitate. The pattern, however, was not so much concerning the pattern of public worship and the church organization but of the individual lifestyle of a disciple. Yet, it is common for institutionalized religious teachers to use these same examples and apply them to an organization and what it does when gathered. To give some semblance of biblical adherence, most denominational groups follow some of the patterns of the New Testament, and not always because they think they must, but because it accomplishes the image they want to create. For this reason, there is little consistency in the application of which patterns are followed and in what context they are executed. Still, in the face of much abuse, there are too many references to apostolic patterns to conclude that none exists. We will now establish this point from Scripture.
This principle of following the divine blueprint was first taught in the Old Testament.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, there is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:16).
The Lord councils man at the crossroads to ask for the old paths so that he may walk in them. As problems continue to be added to problems, our world is so far removed from the old paths due to layers of rubble as each generation says, “We will not walk in the old paths.” Refusing to walk in the old paths implies the choice to follow our own path. Yet, given the best construction possible, every proposed solution or thought to improve God’s standard is temporary at best. The reason for it is that each response of human wisdom that appears to improve one area opens new problems in other areas.
We propose a more solid foundation, a foundation built upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:) All of us begin with a set of values and foundational principles from which we operate. Just as a building is only as good as its foundation, our practices are only as good as our foundational views. For this reason, we must learn to break through our theological blinders and explore outside our comforts in order to avoid adding one layer of human wisdom upon another. With each new layer of human advancement, the old paths are buried beneath layers of human wisdom. Often, no matter what decision is made to improve the present system, they are patches. More meetings, books, and seminars are held to perfect the systems. New programs are developed or entire organizations erected to fill a void or to accommodate the ever-changing norms of our culture. There is only one direction to take – peel away the accumulation of the new and take the path back to the old way. This is not to encourage us to find a pattern for man-made institutions because a divine blueprint does not exist for every human practice. We are only stating that eternal principles of truth have been provided for each individual to apply to his or her life (2 Peter 1:3).